The present invention refers to a teatcup liner intended to be mounted in a teatcup shell, which has a first end and a second end, in such a manner that it in a mounted state extends through the teatcup shell and forms an inner space arranged to receive a teat and a outer space between the teatcup shell and the teatcup liner, wherein the teatcup liner includes an opening, which is intended to permit the introducing of said teat into said inner space and which, in the mounted state, is arranged to be located at the first end, and wherein the teatcup liner includes a grip area, which is arranged to be gripped by a grip portion of the teatcup shell in such a manner that the grip area is surrounded by and abuts the grip portion in the mounted state, wherein the grip area, seen in a cross-section, has a non-circular shape. The invention also refers to teatcup and a milking member.
Such a teatcup liner is disclosed in US-A-5,244,422. This document discloses a teatcup having a triangular grip portion for gripping a corresponding triangular grip area of the teatcup liner.
Certain such teatcup liners, which extend through a teatcup shell and connect directly to a teatcup claw, are intended to be mounted to an inlet member of the teatcup claw in a determined rotary position in relation to the teatcup claw. This is so to, for instance, teatcup liners having an asymmetrical shape seen in the longitudinal axis of the teatcup liner. Furthermore, the teatcup shell may be provided with a connection nipple for a short pulse conduit, which extends to a distributing member of the teat cup claw. In order to ensure that the pulse conduits are not deformed in such a way that the flow therethrough is hindered, it is advantageous to position the teatcup shells in a determined rotary position in relation to the teatcup claw. It is important that the teatcup has an optimal movability, i.e. the pulse hoses are to be provided in such a way that the load on the teats is as small as possible. Furthermore, the vacuum closing may not be prevented, i.e. the teatcup is to hang straightly downwardly when the milking member is not used.
The object of the present invention is to remedy the problems mentioned above. In particular, it is aimed at a teatcup liner, a teatcup and a milking member, respectively, which ensures a proper orientation of the teatcup liner in relation to the teatcup shell and the teatcup claw.
This object is obtained by the teatcup liner initially defined, which is characterised in that the teatcup liner includes a connection portion, which is arranged to enable the connection of the teatcup liner to a teatcup claw and which includes means arranged to define a rotary position for the teatcup liner in relation to the teatcup claw.
By the defined cross-sectional shape of the grip area of the teatcup liner, the possibility is obtained to mount the teatcup liner in one or possibly several determined rotary positions in relation to the teatcup shell in such a way that the teatcup liner can not be rotated in relation to the teatcup shell. The non-circular shape may be realised in many different ways and may for instance include a circular shape along a main part of the periphery with a projecting portion, or any other irregularity, along the remaining part of the periphery. Thereby, the grip portion of the teatcup shell may be formed by an opening, which is provided at the second end and which has a non-circular shape, wherein the non-circular cross-sectional shape of the grip area may correspond to the shape of the grip portion, wherein the teatcup liner is non-rotatable in relation to the teatcup shell in the mounted state. Furthermore, a user will always mount both the teatcup liner and the teatcup shell in a predetermined position in relation to each other and in relation to the teatcup claw of a milking member.
According to an embodiment of the invention, said means includes a chamfer of the connection portion, which is arranged to abut a projecting portion of the teatcup claw.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the grip area includes a surface, which extends around the teatcup liner and which at least has a tangent which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the teatcup liner. Thereby, the grip area may be surrounded by two projection portions, which extend around the teatcup liner and which define the actual position of the teatcup liner in the teatcup shell in the mounted state.
According to a further embodiment of invention, the cross sectional shape of the grip area is such that the teatcup liner is positionable in at the most two rotary positions in relation to the teatcup shell in the mounted state. By such a defined rotary position or two such defined rotary positions, which are located at a distance of 180xc2x0 from each other, it is possible for a user to always orientate the teatcup liner in a proper manner in the teatcup shell. Thereby, the cross-sectionaly shape of the grip area may advantageously be oval.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the teatcup liner includes a connection portion, which is arranged to connect the teatcup liner to the first end of a teatcup shell in the mounted state and which includes means arranged to define at the most two possible rotary positions for the teatcup liner in relation to the teatcup shell in the mounted state. Since the teatcup liner in such a way may only be in one or possibly several determined rotary positions, it may be ensured that the teatcup liner extends in a proper way through the teatcup shell between the first end and the second end, i.e. the teatcup liner is not permitted to rotate, which may have the result that the teatcup liner does not open and close in a proper manner.
The object is also obtained by the initially defined teatcup and initially defined milking member, which are characterised in that the teatcup liner includes a connection portion, which is arranged to enable the connection of the teacup liner to the teatcup claw and which includes means arranged to define a rotary position for the teatcup liner in relation to the teatcup claw.